The Ireland Women will have to negotiate an earlier than usual kick-off time and a fired-up Wales if they want to take the Six Nations title race to the final round and a St. Patrick’s Day showdown with England.
2017 WOMEN’S SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, March 11
WALES WOMEN (4th) v IRELAND WOMEN (2nd), BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, 11.30am (live RTÉ Two/www.rte.ie/live (island of Ireland only)/S4C/Six Nations Facebook Live Stream)
Team News: Head coach Tom Tierney has confirmed the Ireland Women’s team, sponsored by Aon, to play Wales in Saturday’s Six Nations encounter at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park.
Tierney’s selection for the round 4 fixture shows three personnel changes and one positional switch to the side that defeated France 13-10 in memorable fashion at Donnybrook.
Wingers Alison Miller and Hannah Tyrrell return to the back-line having been involved with the Ireland Women’s Sevens squad for the Las Vegas leg of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.
Claire McLaughlin, who sustained an ankle injury in training, misses out and her place at inside centre will be filled by Sene Naoupu, who is also back from a stint at the USA 7s.
The positional switch sees Kim Flood move to full-back having played on the wing in the France game. Galwegians’ Mairead Coyne drops to the replacements bench.
Ireland’s forwards are unchanged, with Lindsay Peat, Leah Lyons and Ailis Egan forming the starting front row for the fourth match in succession. Old Belvedere duo Marie Louise Reilly (pictured below) and Sophie Spence will pack down together in the second row, and number 8 and captain Paula Fitzpatrick is again joined by flankers Ciara Griffin and Claire Molloy in the back row.
Meanwhile, Wales Women head coach Rowland Phillips has made seven changes to the team that lost by a point to Scotland in Cumbernauld in the last round.
Loosehead prop Caryl Thomas, number 8 Shona Powell-Hughes, half-backs Keira Bevan and Robyn Wilkins and winger Adi Taviner all come into the starting line-up. Two of the changes are positional, as Sioned Harries moves to the blindside flanker, and Elen Evans goes from the left wing to the right.
Wales are seeking to get their campaign back on track after their opening day 20-8 triumph in Italy was followed by back-to-back defeats to England (63-0) and Scotland (15-14).
The Welsh squad is still mourning the recent loss of fellow international Elli Norkett, to whom tributes will be paid prior to kick-off on Saturday – and Phillips and his players have acknowledged that managing the emotions on Saturday will be important.
Match Ticket Information: Tickets can be bought online here. Seating – £15, Standing – £10/£5 U-16s. Tickets will be available to purchase online until 12pm on Friday. After this, tickets can only be purchased in person from the WRU ticket office on Westgate Street, Cardiff, CF10 1NS.
Women’s Six Nations Results/Fixtures
WALES WOMEN: Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets); Elen Evans (Scarlets), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Rebecca de Filippo (Newport Gwent Dragons), Adi Taviner (Ospreys); Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Caryl Thomas (Scarlets), Carys Phillips (Ospreys) (capt), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Rebecca Rowe (Newport Gwent Dragons), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Sioned Harries (Scarlets), Rachel Taylor (Scarlets), Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys).
Replacements: Lowri Harries (Scarlets), Cerys Hale (Newport Gwent Dragons), Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Rhiannon Parker (Cardiff Blues), Elinor Snowsill (Newport Gwent Dragons), Gemma Rowland (Newport Gwent Dragons).
IRELAND WOMEN: Kim Flood (Railway Union/Leinster); Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sene Naoupu (Aylesford Bulls), Alison Miller (Old Belvedere/Connacht); Nora Stapleton (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Mary Healy (Galwegians/Connacht); Lindsay Peat (Railway Union/Leinster), Leah Lyons (Highfield/Munster), Ailis Egan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Sophie Spence (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Marie Louise Reilly (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Ciara Griffin (UL Bohemians/Munster), Claire Molloy (Bristol/Connacht), Paula Fitzpatrick (St. Mary’s/Leinster) (capt).
Replacements: Ciara O’Connor (Galwegians/Connacht), Ilse van Staden (Cooke/Ulster), Ruth O’Reilly (Galwegians/Connacht), Ciara Cooney (Railway Union/Leinster), Nichola Fryday (Tullamore/Connacht), Larissa Muldoon (Railway Union), Nikki Caughey (Railway Union/Ulster), Mairead Coyne (Galwegians/Connacht).
Referee: Claire Hodnett (England)
Assistant Referees: Joy Neville (Ireland), Simon Rees (Wales)
Television Match Official: Eric Gauzins (France)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Wales Women to win: 9/5; Draw: 14/1; Ireland Women to win: 1/2
Pre-Match Quotes – Tom Tierney (Ireland Women): “The squad has been developing nicely over the course of the Championship, and while it was great to get the win against France in the last game, we haven’t dwelt on that and have firmly turned our attention to the challenge the Welsh will give us.
“We are expecting Wales to be very much up for this game and there is set to be a big crowd in the Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday. With that in mind, it will be important that the players stay fully focused on their jobs and that we go out on Saturday ready to perform.
“We’d also encourage any Ireland fans that are in town for the men’s game on Friday evening and are still in Cardiff on Saturday to come to the game and give the team their support.”
Rowland Phillips (Wales Women): “This has been our most difficult team selection so far. We got together for training last Saturday and certain players trained their way back into contention, which we were very happy to see.
“We need to perform and keep our concentration, because we know what an emotional occasion it will be (following the death of young Welsh international Elli Norkett last week). Elli was important to so many people. It’s fitting and right that we’ll be able to pay our respects to her on Saturday, and we’ll all be carrying our memories of her this weekend.
“Ireland have been building momentum for the last couple of seasons. They are an all-round team who are able to adapt their game-plan well, but we’re only focused on getting back to playing to our strengths in front of what I’m sure will be another great home crowd in Cardiff.”
Pre-Match Links –
Ireland v Wales: Facts & Figures
In Touch: March Edition Out Now
Competition: Would You Like Your Child To Be An Ireland Women’s Team Mascot?
Ireland Women Close Gap On England In Sevens World Series Rankings
Tickets On Sale For Ireland Women’s & U-20s’ Patrick’s Day Double Header
Match Facts –
– The Wales Women’s only victory in their last five Six Nations matches was 20-8 over Italy in Jesi in round 1 last month
– Wales were defeated by England at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park in round 2 and have not lost successive home games since 2014
– Wales have played nine previous Women’s Six Nations matches at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park with their only victories being against Spain and Ireland in 2003
– The Ireland Women have won their last five Six Nations matches since their defeat to England at Twickenham last year
– Ireland have only once before started with four successive wins in the Championship, when they claimed the Grand Slam in 2013
– The two countries have met on 21 previous occasions at this level with Ireland achieving eight victories, including the last five in succession
Recent Meetings –
2014: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 14 Wales Women 6, Ashbourne RFC
2015: Women’s Six Nations: Wales Women 0 Ireland Women 20, St. Helen’s, Swansea RFC
2016: Women’s Six Nations: Ireland Women 21 Wales Women 3, Donnybrook
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